For all the jersey sales, goofy haircuts and religious debates inspired by the much-ado-about-nothing quarterback, what Tebow can’t do at this point in his professional career is help the Broncos win.

“This is a veteran team that we have right now, and you want to lean on the veterans,” receiver Eddie Royal said Sunday, when I asked him if Tebowmania had overshadowed the players who really matter to success or failure of the Broncos.

Now you know this team’s problem.

Jacksonville beat Denver 24-17 in the season opener.

But outside the locker room on a sauna of a September afternoon, all anyone from the media wanted to ask about was the 2 yards Tebow gained on two rushing attempts in the game.

“I’d definitely like to help them out more,” said Tebow, doing his best not to be embarrassed by the undue attention.

Does anybody else remember when the Broncos were known nationally as a legit Super Bowl contender rather than a Tebow sideshow?

Tebow has more impact on Facebook than the field.

The real important players on the Denver roster got the Broncos off to a fast start on the opening series. Quarterback Kyle Orton threw to tight end Daniel Graham for 28 yards. Running back Knowshon Moreno dashed around left end for another 10 yards.

Two snaps, two first downs by Denver. So far, so good.

And then Broncos coach Josh McDaniels inexplicably cued the calliope music for the Tebow circus.

Playing to an audience of 63,636 in Tebow’s hometown, McDaniels lined up his overhyped rookie quarterback in the shotgun on first down at the Jacksonville 41-yard line.

Hey, kid. Welcome to the NFL, where life is generally tougher than homecoming against Vanderbilt.

McDaniels appeared to be in an unnecessary rush to earn young Tebow his varsity letter. The coach was asked: Did he regret it?

“No. It was part of the game plan,” McDaniels replied, later explaining that Tebow wasn’t used more extensively because the Jacksonville defense proved to be unfazed by his presence in the Denver huddle.

Among the most devout of the Tebow faithful, any criticism aimed at the genuinely kind-hearted, relentlessly upbeat quarterback is considered an affront to life, liberty and the pursuit of the American dream.

Too bad the difference between winning and losing in the NFL isn’t so black and white. The difference between a 6-10 and a 10-6 team in this league is filled with many shades of gray.

Any fan waiting for Tebow to come to Denver’s emotional rescue better pack a jumbo bag of chips, a sleeping bag and set the alarm clock for 2012.

“We didn’t win, so I’m not happy by any means,” said Royal, whose eight catches for 98 yards allowed him to re-emerge as a integral part of the Denver offense.

What the Broncos lack, however, are enough certifiable playmakers.

Orton performed competently for Denver, but couldn’t convert on a fourth down in the red zone with the visitors trailing by a touchdown during the fourth quarter, then ended a last-gasp attempt to force overtime with an interception.

Broncos linebacker Robert Ayers did record a sack, but the Denver defense ultimately surrendered three touchdown passes, giving pedestrian Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard a 138.9 efficiency rating that could make Peyton Manning drool.

With a team desperate to bury memories of last year’s late-season collapse, McDaniels used a first-round draft choice to fuel dreams of the future rather than win games in the present. Using Tebow as a gimmick seems like an extravagance that a coach who has yet to win the trust of Broncomaniacs can ill afford.

This might not be entirely fair to mention, but elsewhere around the NFL during the opening weekend, Jay Cutler led Chicago to a comeback victory, Peyton Hillis scored a touchdown for Cleveland and Brandon Marshall was a winner in his debut with Miami.

It’s far too early to conclude McDaniels blundered in drafting Tebow.

But the truth is any NFL coach who plays for the future while losing in the present often isn’t around long enough to see his dreams come true.

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